RONKONKOMA, NY − In a Long Island warehouse adorned with posters of figures from the MAGA movement, David Clements, a former law professor, taught a group of roughly 30 attendees how to commandeer public meetings if their concerns about elections are dismissed.

“It’s crucial to know who runs your elections and who confirms them,” he advised the crowd, which had gathered at a makeshift America First social club.

Following the 2020 election, conspiracy theorists, backed by former President Trump, sought to substantiate claims of election fraud but did not succeed. However, they have since established a national network focused on “election integrity” that can be mobilized in the future.

Over the past four years, a coalition of right-wing activists and Trump supporters like Clements has traveled extensively to hold thousands of meetings aimed at building an army of community activists to gather evidence of supposed fraud for legal action or to urge local officials not to certify election results. Their activities have already led to lawsuits and numerous information requests in many regions.

These local activist trainings, conducted in places like churches and libraries, often rely on unfounded claims and conspiracy theories that have been disproven by the courts, fact-checkers, independent experts, or nonpartisan audits.

With slightly over a month remaining until Election Day, Clements encouraged attendees to engage with election officials about the functionality of election machines, potentially leading them to consider not certifying the election results.

If officials remain unresponsive, he suggested activists should physically assert themselves in public meetings, instructing the crowd to practice obstructing election officials from interacting with law enforcement.

“Everyone move forward. get close,” he prompted.

This gathering was just one of many presentations Clements has led this year in anticipation of the 2024 elections. He previously taught business law in New Mexico but was dismissed over his views regarding the pandemic.

As Republicans hold less sway in key 2024 battleground states, and Trump appears to lack the leverage he had in 2020 to influence state officials, experts predict that county-level officials will come under pressure to refuse to certify or alter election results, though this will likely not alter the final outcomes.

Many of these national right-wing election activists view the upcoming election as a moral struggle, the last chance to redeem America.

During a speech in April to about 70 people in Deer Park, Washington, Clements expressed that the previous four years’ efforts were geared towards awakening Americans.

“The momentum has built up over four years,” he declared. “Now it’s about to erupt and challenge all the oppressive forces out there. So if the courts and the legislature won’t take action, who will? The public must.”

Key figures include ex-Trump attorney and MyPillow CEO

The Trump campaign did not respond to inquiries regarding their support for these efforts.

Many right-wing activists are critical of both Republican and Democratic election officials, asserting their initiatives aren’t tied to a single candidate or party.

“This isn’t solely about Donald Trump or one political party,” stated Mike Lindell, CEO of MyPillow and a notable critic of election machines, who created Cause for America to train county-level activists.

Numerous far-right advocacy groups are dedicated to training activists focused on elections, including True the Vote, Honest Elections Project, Precinct Strategy, The America Project, American Voters Alliance, Fight Voter Fraud, and the Election Transparency Initiative. They form a complex network of fundraising and coalition-building with hundreds of thousands of followers on social media. The activists they’ve cultivated have established their own networks at the local or state level.

Key organizations such as Lindell’s Cause for America and the Election Integrity Network, led by former Trump attorney Cleta Mitchell, are at the forefront of efforts to modify Georgia’s election processes, including mandates for hand-counting ballots. This new measure has faced legal challenges from Democrats.

The America Project, founded by ex-Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne and retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, aimed to persuade Trump to issue an executive order to take control of voting machines following the 2020 election.

Each of these groups has strong connections either to Trump or his close associates.

Despite the significant overlap among these organizations, each has carved out its own area of focus. Lindell has advocated for the elimination of voting machines, while Mitchell has concentrated on purging voter rolls, particularly targeting individuals her group suspects are undocumented immigrants.

Hand counting, a court fight and a QAnon follower: 3 counties to watch in 2024 election

Clements claims to have gathered evidence of fraud across all voting processes, from campaign financing to the time it takes to tally votes. Doug Frank, who calls himself the “Johnny Appleseed” of election integrity, has organized numerous workshops teaching activists how to identify individuals in their neighborhoods who they believe should be removed from voter rolls by going door-to-door.

Frank mentioned that although these activists may not all personally know one another or collaborate closely, he has slept on Lindell’s couch, showcasing a loose network of relationships.

“I don’t think we all sat in one room and mapped out a plan,” Frank stated. “There is no grand conspiracy here.”

Many of these figures have remarked that the four years since the 2020 election have allowed the so-called “election integrity movement” to evolve and strengthen. Frank referred to this period as a “different chess game.”

“In 2020, we had a public who was largely confused, myself included,” Frank reflected. “But now we have a clear course of action. I have teams across the nation, hundreds of them, ready to deploy, on top of other strategies.”

Local Activists

Many of the grassroots “election integrity” or “fair elections” groups that have emerged since 2020 are collaborating with a mix of national organizations and increasingly among themselves.

Holly Kesler, the Georgia state director for Citizens Defending Freedom, mentioned during an October 6 Twitter event hosted by the America Project that there has been more success since representatives from various Georgia organizations convened in June 2023 to coordinate their strategies. Their efforts have led to a new rule from the Georgia State Election Board mandating that three different people at each of Georgia’s 2,400 polling stations hand count the ballots prior to the certification deadline.

“While we each have our own areas of focus, it’s time we unite and navigate this highway together,” Kesler expressed.

The training provided covers how to question the accuracy of voter rolls, petition local authorities for the removal of voting machines in favor of hand counting, and how poll watchers can document and report any irregularities that may be utilized in lawsuits regarding election outcomes.

Implementing Training Tactics

Clements initiates his training sessions with a two-hour film that claims manipulated elections are akin to a form of modern American enslavement. This film, part autobiography and part animation, is being offered online for free after his distributor severed ties with him due to fears of legal ramifications. The film refers to those imprisoned for their participation in the January 6 Capitol riots as political prisoners and alleges that a “uniparty” in Washington, D.C. is aware of election fraud yet ignores it.

Clements has titled his initiative “Gideon 300,” referencing the biblical character Gideon, who triumphed over a larger army with just 300 soldiers.

In his presentation, Clements encouraged attendees to “surround the ineffective politicians and usurpers who oversee elections.”

“Picture surveying a map of your county: you identify the election workers and clerks who have betrayed your trust. Your goal is to encircle them,” Clements urged. “Can you gather 300 of God’s warriors to confront the 10 ineffective usurpers and declare the truth?… Don’t compromise; rather, become an abolitionist and expose them to demonstrate your strength.”

Frank, whose emphasis is on local voter rolls, informed YSL News that he has delivered his presentation 650 times since 2020. His influence helped local activists persuade election officials in Shasta County, California, to discontinue the use of machines for ballot counting.

He mentioned that his teams have several strategies in place for uncovering potential election fraud around Election Day. One such strategy involves conducting penetration tests, simulating attempts for unauthorized access to machines in various jurisdictions, including Missouri and Nebraska.

‘They can eliminate the machines’

Meanwhile, Lindell and Mitchell have concentrated their efforts on mobilizing activists via digital platforms.

The training sessions under Lindell’s Cause for America focus on how to report alleged irregularities to their organizations.

He shared with YSL News that local activists have the power to influence local election processes.

“They can eliminate the machines through their votes at the county level,” he stated.

Cleta Mitchell’s organizations, the Election Integrity Network and the Only Citizens Vote Coalition, aim to create coalitions at the state level. They conduct weekly and monthly online meetings to discuss topics such as mail-in voting, legislative matters, election technologies, resisting ranked-choice voting, and maintaining clean voter rolls. These discussions are private and not open to the press.

In a podcast from July 2023, Mitchell interviewed Kerri Toloczko, Executive Director of the Election Integrity Network, who mentioned that they have mobilized tens of thousands of so-called “election integrity patriots” nationwide.

Mitchell did not reply to requests for her comments.

Responses from County Officials

Some electoral officials report that local activists have been beneficial, while others see them as a source of distraction. In Grand Rapids, Michigan, for instance, their efforts helped identify voters with duplicate registrations, according to City Clerk Joel Hondrop.

Conversely, in Los Angeles, these activists have inundated election officials with requests for public information and numerous inquiries.

Dean Logan, the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk of Los Angeles County, expressed that it seems their intent is to prepare grounds to contest the election results. “If things don’t align with what we desire, we’ll be looking for ways to challenge the process,” he noted.

Derek Bowen, Director of Elections for Durham County, North Carolina, remarked that local activists have generated a flood of requests for public records, including voter data, registration lists, and preferences of polling staff.

“We respond to these requests as required by North Carolina law, and we are committed to transparency as long as it doesn’t impede our election duties,” said Bowen, who has held his position since 2017. “However, at times, these requests can feel more like obstacles in our election administration responsibilities.”

Bowen anticipates increased local pressure post-election, depending on the outcome.

“After we publish unofficial results and the media predicts a winner, especially in a swing state like North Carolina, we will likely see heightened scrutiny from external groups based on the winning candidate,” he stated. “That period will be incredibly challenging for our operations.”

Introducing New Doubts

Election officials have been preparing for possible challenges to the 2024 election for four years, according to Michael Waldman, President of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU.

“The tendency to deny election outcomes that emerged in 2020 is now better organized, more strategic, and significantly funded – developing adherence among tens of millions,” Waldman explained. “Fortunately, our election system is more equipped to manage these challenges.”

Some activists succeeded in pressuring various county officials not to certify the results of the 2022 midterms across states like Arizona, New Mexico, and North Carolina. Yet, those officials eventually complied when state directives or court orders required certification. Justin Levitt, a professor at Loyola Law School who contributed to drafting the Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022, believes opposition in 2024 will be quickly quelled.

“The law does not support refusal to certify,” he stated. “Whenever delays have occurred, county and state attorneys and courts have consistently asserted that these actions aren’t permissible, and they insist that officials either comply or face significant consequences. The thought of potentially facing imprisonment for such actions is a powerful deterrent.”

However, Levitt worries that lawsuits or disputes over certification could lead to public unrest.

“I’m certain there will be a lot of uproar leading up to the election,” he said. “This noise might disturb many observers, but I am confident it won’t alter the election results.”